BCC Cannabis Regulations Approved: Cannabis Waste Provisions

After emergency regulations, extended emergency regulations, many committees and subcommittee meetings and a substantial amount of public participation and comments, the final regulations have been approved by the Office of Administrative Law and are now in effect. Read on to learn more about the final regulations and cannabis waste provisions published by the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC).

BCC Cannabis Regulations Approved: Cannabis Waste Provisions

The primary references to cannabis wastein the final text of the BCC regulations are as follows:

§ 5049. Track and Trace Reporting.

(a) A licensee shall record in the track and trace system all commercial cannabis activity, including:

(7) If cannabis goods are being destroyed or disposed of, the licensee shall record in the track and trace system the following additional information:

(A) The name of the employee performing the destruction or disposal. (B) The reason for destruction and disposal. (C) The entity disposing of cannabis waste.

§ 5054. Destruction of Cannabis Goods Prior to Disposal.

(a) Licensees shall not dispose of cannabis goods unless disposed of as cannabis waste, defined under section 5000(g) of this division. (b) Cannabis waste shall be stored, managed, and disposed of in accordance with all applicable waste management laws, including, but not limited to, Division 30 of the Public Resources Code. (c) Cannabis goods intended for disposal shall remain on the licensed premises until rendered into cannabis waste. The licensee shall ensure that:

(1) Access to the cannabis goods is restricted to the licensee, its employees or agents; and (2) Storage of the cannabis goods allocated for disposal is separate and distinct from other cannabis goods.

(d) To be rendered as cannabis waste for proper disposal, including disposal as defined under Public Resources Code section 40192, cannabis goods shall first be destroyed on the licensed premises. This includes, at a minimum, removing or separating the cannabis goods from any packaging or container and rendering it unrecognizable and unusable. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require vape cartridges to be emptied of cannabis oil prior to disposal, provided that the vape cartridge itself is unusable at the time of disposal. (e) Cannabis waste on the licensed premises shall be secured in a receptacle or area that is restricted to the licensee, its employees, or an authorized waste hauler. (f) A licensee shall report all cannabis waste activities, up to and including disposal, into the track and trace system, as required under Chapter 1, Article 6 of this division.

Important note: GAIACA is able to transport unrendered cannabis products and render it on behalf of the client because we have our Type-11 Cannabis Distribution license. Without a Type-11 license, waste haulers can only haul rendered cannabis waste.